Liquid actuated controlling device



June 5, 1945. J. A. MORGAN 2,377,710

LIQUID ACTUATED CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed July 17, 1944 Patented June 5,1945

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,377,710 LIQUIDLACTUATED OONTROLLINGDEVICE J aines A. Morgan, Houston, Tex.

Application July 17, 1944, Serial No. 545,359 e 1 Claim. (01. revas) This invention relates to a liquid actuated controlling device. e

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which has been specially designed for use in automatically relieving the liquid from the tank of a scrubber or separator wherein entrained liquids and solids are separated from the gas or vapor. i

The separator above referred to maybe used for various purposes ,butis primarily designed for treating natural gas as it comes from the well so as to remove the oil, gas, other petroleum products and solids therefrom; and the invention herein described has been designed for the purpose of automatically relieving the liquids collected in the tank from the tank.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain features of construction, arrangement of parts and use, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the drawing wherein- Figure '1 shows a side view of the separator, partly in section.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof showing the liquid actuated controlling device, partly in section; and

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. i I

Referring now more particularly to the drawing Whereinlike numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates an upright shell or tank which may be of any conventional form and which may be supported on any suitable type of base as *2.

The tank has one or more inlet lines 3, two being shown. It also has an outlet line 4, said inlet and outlet line being valve controlled in the usual way. The shell is also equipped with a drain outlet 5 which extends into the tank and whose inner end is upturned...

The interior construction of, the separator may be varied but as illustrated it is substantially the same as that disclosed in Patent No. 2,197,189 for Scrubber issued to applicant by the United States Patent Oflice on April 16, 1940. l l

Screwed onto the upturned end of the outlet line 5 there is a head Shaving a passageway I therethrough which is aligned with the passageed on the posts and the latterof which is fixed thereto, as bywelding.

The numeral Ill designates a float fixed to, and

accompanying dependlngfrom, which there is a spud H which extends through the upper plate 9 and is welded down to vary the rangeof movement of thefloat Depending fromthe spud l I, and fixed thereto,

there is astem 13 whose lower end is pointed to conform to the contour of and to lit the flared upper end of the passageway same.

Fastened to the under side of the plate [0, on

opposite sides, arethe flat springs 14, l4 whose inner ends are curved to grip the stem when it is in its lowerposition. The weight of the float, spud and stem is sufficient to lower the stem between said springs to close the passageway 1 and to hold the stem in this closing position.

The liquid separated will gradually'collect in the tank I and the buoyancy of the float will eventually cause the float to move upwardly, re-

leasing the stem. from said springs to open the passageway I and permit the liquid to drain out until the float has lowered a suflicient distance to close the passageway 1 whereupon the springs l4 will grip the stem and hold it closed until another load of liquid has accumulated. The

springs M will hold the float against upward 5 movement until a full load of liquid has accumulated whereupon the passageway Twill be quickly opened. l

The plate It) has a central opening through which the stem l3 works snugly thus forming a guide for the stem.

. The drawing and description are illustrative merely 'while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appendedclaim.

WhatIclaim is: i

In a separator having a liquid receiving tank provided with a: drain outlet line whose inner end, within the tank, is upturned, a head on said outlet line provided with a, passageway aligned with the passageway through the outlet line, posts upstanding from the head, a transverse lower plate fixed to said posts and having a guide opening, a transverse upper plate movable vertically on said posts, a float fixed to said upper plate, astem depending from thefioat through the said guide opening and whose lower end is formed to close the passageway through the head and friction members on the lower plate arranged to frictionally engage the stem to hold it temporarily in lower position to maintain the passageway closed.

4 JAMES A. MORGAN,

1 so as to close the 

